What if a bank had your back, not just your account?
Welcome to the fraud squad.
At Westbury Bank, your information security is one of our top priorities. Our Fraud Squad has gathered information and resources to help you protect yourself and your personal information from scams and fraudsters. Your best defense against fraud is YOU – we encourage you to learn as much as you can so that you can recognize red flags and fight fraud.
Customer Best Practices
- Never give your personal or financial information to people you don't know, including your bank account and credit card details, codes, passwords, PINs, and SSN.
- Never click links from or provide information to suspicious emails. If you aren’t sure an email is safe, contact us at 800-679-8287.
- Don’t give out your personal information freely. This includes over text, over email, and over phone calls that YOU didn’t initiate to 800-679-8287.
- Trust your gut; if a situation feels suspicious, it probably is. Give us a call (800-679-8287) any time you feel as though fraudulent behavior may be afoot.
Common Scams
What if a bank gave you the skinny on what fraud we see most often? Welcome to fighting fraud.
Feeling uneasy about a financial transaction or conversation? Give us a call or stop in to see us! We're smellin' what you're steppin' in. I mean, we completely understand and are here to help. Our bank staff has the unique opportunity to help you uncover fraud attempts in your everyday banking. We ask questions to identify possible red flags and ensure your finances are protected. Here are some of the most common fraud schemes we've uncovered at your local branch.
Phone Spoofing / Bank Impersonator Scam
Fraudsters are calling pretending to be from your bank and notify you that there’s an issue that needs your attention or fraudulent activity on your account. They may ask you for your personal and banking information, a verification code, or a one-time passcode. Your bank already has your account numbers and social security number... you will never be asked to provide your personally identifiable information (PII) by your bank.
Keep in mind
- Fraudsters have ways of spoofing legitimate bank phone numbers to try to trick you into thinking you are talking to your bank representatives. If you answer a call from someone claiming to be from your bank and are suspicious, simply hang up and contact us directly (800-679-8287).
- Never give your personal or financial information to people you don't know, including your bank account and credit card details, codes, passwords, PINs, and SSN.
- A one-time verification code or passcode is an extra layer of security to confirm a transaction that you are completing. You will have set it with your banker in-person and is used to properly identify you for transaction requests that YOU initiate when YOU call your bank.
Here are more phone scams to learn about.
Gift Card Fraud
If someone asks you to pay for something by putting the money on a gift card and to send them the numbers on the back of the card, they’re trying to scam you. There is no agency or legitimate business that will ever tell you to make a payment using gift cards. Just remember, gift cards are for gifts.
Curious about how gift card fraud works?
Family Emergency Scam
Scammers will call pretending to be a family member or close friend and claim they need money to get out of trouble. These bad guys do their homework before calling and will know a lot about you or the person they’re pretending to be. You will be pressured to send money right away. Always check to ensure there is an actual emergency before sending money!
Here is some more information.
Text / SMS Scams
Scammers can use SMS messages to scare you into thinking your account has been compromised, only to compromise your account themselves. Westbury Bank will never ask for sensitive information through text; this includes security questions, identification information, or generated security tokens.
Pay attention for spelling mistakes and non-professional wording within text messages - this could indicate the mannerisms of a fraudster. Noticing and reporting little things like this can help us stop scammers from taking advantage of others and can leave you feeling like the world’s best Junior Detective.
How do WE help protect your information?
Take a look at what we are doing to protect you and your information.
Basic Security
To ensure the protection of your information, only employees who need your information to do their jobs will have access to any information you provide us. Our website is encrypted to ensure that information you enter can't be intercepted as it moves across the internet. Below are some aspects of our security system that are in place for customer identity protection.
Account Authentication
When registering your device with your online banking account for the first time, we activate your security questions that only you know the answer to. We strongly encourage you to not share the answers to these questions with anyone.
Automatic Log Out
We automatically log you out of online banking after 20 minutes to protect your information being seen or used by anyone other than you. You will be automatically logged out of our banking app after 10 minutes for the same reasons.
Account Monitoring
Westbury Bank monitors your accounts for potential fraud.
The Federal Trade Commission provides information on the latest scams and how to avoid, report, and recover from them - have a looksie! You can also sign up for Consumer Alerts to receive emails about new scams and tips for avoidance.
But wait, there's more! We're just getting started...
Your Security Business Security Video Resources Your Resources
We've got you covered! Reach out with any questions or comments.